2 years ago
John McCain is the winner of the Florida Republican primary. He edged past Mitt Romney to gain campaign momentum for next week's string of contests in 21 states.
McCain tells The Associated Press it's a "very significant boost" and shows he's "the conservative leader who can unite the party."
The Florida victory is worth 57 national convention delegates for McCain and is the largest single prize to date in the race.
Rudy Giuliani was in third place and officials familiar with events say his aides are in discussions with McCain's advisers on a possible endorsement later in the week.
Mike Huckabee has told supporters he'll forge on.
Hillary Clinton won the state's Democratic primary.
The event drew no campaigning by any of her presidential rivals and awarded no delegates to the winner.
The New York senator arranged a rally in the state as the polls were closing.
It's been a rough stretch for Clinton after her big loss to Barack Obama in South Carolina, and the blockbuster endorsements by Senator Ted Kennedy and his niece, JFK's daughter Caroline.
Clinton and Obama collide next week in a coast-to-coast competition for delegates across 22 states.
Last year, the national party stripped Florida of its delegates as punishment for moving its primary ahead of February 5th and the candidates pledged to bypass the state.
